High Wind — Grand Flat and Arches, Utah

2024-03-02 · Grand Flat and Arches, Utah

Event narrative

The peak gust of 77 mph occurred at the UDOT mesonet site UTHAD, located on I-70 at MP 226 Harley Dome, at 5:30 PM on the 2nd. The KCNY ASOS recorded two gusts between 60 mph and 65 mph between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Also during this time period, two other mesonet sites in the zone recorded gusts of 65-70 mph. Gusts ranged from 45-80 mph during the duration of the event across Utah Zone 027.

Wider weather episode

A strong Pacific low pressure trough moved into the Pacific Northwest and dropped south through the Great Basin in the days leading up to March 1st. At the base of this trough, a 160 knot jet aloft tracked overhead of eastern Utah and western Colorado beginning on the 1st, with daytime heating starting to mix down these much stronger southwest winds. Winds peaked during the late morning and afternoon hours on the 2nd as the pressure gradient through the atmosphere tightened up ahead of a strong cold front. Strongest winds were observed just prior to the cold front's passage, and led to numerous reports of power outages, downed trees, and even a few small brush fires.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1168946. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.